Military transport crash scatters banknotes, kills civilians
A Bolivian military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashed near El Alto, close to the capital La Paz, killing a number of people and scattering currency across a highway. Officials reported that the aircraft went down shortly after takeoff; emergency responders found wreckage that damaged about a dozen vehicles and drew crowds to the scene as loose banknotes blew across the road.
Authorities gave early death tolls that varied across reports; some accounts put the number of fatalities in the low teens. Riot police used tear gas to disperse people who had gathered near the wreckage to collect the cash. The cargo was reported as banknotes from the central bank, indicating the plane was on a financial logistics mission rather than a routine cargo run.
Investigation and implications
- Crash inquiry: Military and civil aviation investigators have opened an inquiry to determine cause, which could include mechanical failure, pilot error, cargo handling problems, or runway and air-traffic issues.
- Public safety: The collision with civilian vehicles highlights the risks when military flights operate near populated roadways.
- Economic and criminal risks: Scattered currency prompted immediate security concerns — from looting to the chain-of-custody for national bank property — and authorities moved quickly to secure the site.
At this stage investigators have not released a definitive cause. Officials continue search, recovery and forensic work while Bolivian leaders coordinate emergency response and security at the crash site.
